US Navy patrol ship seizes over 1,700 kilograms of suspected drugs in Caribbean

By Baird Maritime - July 29, 2020.

MARITIME SECURITY WEEK

The Cyclone-class patrol ship USS Shamal with an embarked US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team recovered more than 1,700 kilograms of suspected marijuana earlier this month, the US Navy said on Friday, July 24.

While on routine patrol in the Caribbean Sea, Shamal‘s crew spotted a go-fast boat.

The suspected drug smugglers onboard the go-fast boat were soon after observed jettisoning packages into the water.

In a coordinated effort, Shamal launched a small boat and the LEDET operators were deployed to the scene to further investigate.

Upon arriving on scene, Shamal and the embarked LEDET team recovered a total of 708 bales of suspected marijuana, totaling more than 1,780 kilograms and worth over an estimated wholesale value of US$6.9 million.

Shamal is deployed to the US Fourth Fleet area of operations supporting US Southern Command’s enhanced counter-drug operations mission in the Caribbean.

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